Aug 14–15, 2026 · Excelsior Springs, MO · 📍 201 E. Broadway · State championship
Reps: Dave Rogers, Forrest Bruce, Larry Hadley · Prize money: $10,900
Triple H BBQ won Grand Champion at the BBQ & Fly-In on the River on August 14, 2026 in Excelsior Springs, MO at 201 E. Broadway, scoring 711.9772 in a field of 83 teams. BBQ Maestros took Reserve Grand Champion with 706.2284. Category winners: Chicken — Dr. Squealgood BBQ (180.0000); Pork Ribs — BBQ Maestros (180.0000); Pork — SlowBurn BBQ (180.0000); Brisket — Fire Dancer BBQ (178.8572). This is the 6th of 6 editions of this contest on record; the 2025 edition was won by Smoke This Drink That BBQ.
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
What it has taken to win here, 2020 to 2026 — this edition picked out.
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
711.9772 is the highest overall score this contest has ever produced — past the 710.8572 Smoke This Drink That BBQ set in 2025.
Triple H BBQ won the Grand Championship without winning a single meat — 3 calls from 4 boards, best of them 2nd. Consistency beat fireworks.
5 perfect 180s were scored at this contest — every judge at the table handing back a nine.
2 of 6 tracked editions
Triple H BBQ has won this contest 2 times across its 6 tracked editions.
Chicken places 3–4: Triple H BBQ and Smokin' Suckers tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: Smokin' Suckers and Slaps BBQ tied on 178.8572 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 6–7: Bocephus BBQ and Smokey Bey's Barbecue tied on 178.2972 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: Triple H BBQ (won 2022), Gettin' Basted (won 2023), Machete Boys BBQ (won 2024).
Bigger than 97% of the 5,462 contests in the data
83 teams — bigger than 97% of the 5,462 contests in the data.
This contest usually draws about 59 teams
83 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 59.
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion | Reserve Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 2020 | Excelsior Springs, MO | 201 E Broadway | 55 | 703.3828 | Shake 'n Bake BBQ | GETTIN' SAUCED |
| Aug 19, 2022 | Excelsior Springs, MO | 201 E. Broadway | 54 | 707.4056 | Triple H BBQ | SLAPS BBQ |
| Aug 18, 2023 | Excelsior Springs, MO | 201 E. Broadway | 57 | 706.8344 | Gettin' Basted | MACHETE BOYS BBQ |
| Aug 16, 2024 | Excelsior Springs, MO | 201 E. Broadway | 65 | 703.9660 | Machete Boys BBQ | Ambition Que |
| Aug 15, 2025 | Excelsior Springs, MO | 201 E. Broadway | 62 | 710.8572 | Smoke This Drink That BBQ | MEAT RUSHMORE BBQ |
| Aug 14, 2026 ← this one | Excelsior Springs, MO | 201 E. Broadway | 83 | 711.9772 | Triple H BBQ | BBQ Maestros |
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 180 | 178.8572 | 177.7028 |
| Pork Ribs | 180 | 178.8572 | 177.7144 |
| Pork | 180 | 177.7028 | 176.5716 |
| Brisket | 178.8572 | 176.5600 | 174.2744 |
83 entries · top 711.9772 · median 683.9316
83 entries · top 180 · median 171.9656 · 🔥 perfect 180
83 entries · top 180 · median 172.5484 · 🔥 perfect 180
83 entries · top 180 · median 171.4172 · 🔥 perfect 180
82 entries · top 178.8572 · median 170.5486
Run by the organizers alongside the sanctioned contest. These are judged on their own terms and do not count toward the overall score, so they're kept out of the meat stats above.
17 entries · top 180 · median 177.1428 · 🔥 perfect 180
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bad Influence BBQ - MO | |
| 2 | BBQ Pit Bros | |
| 3 | Man Meat BBQ | |
| 4 | Low Eye Que | |
| 5 | Split Borders BBQ | |
| 6 | Love 2 Q | |
| 7 | Mulkey's BBQ | |
| 8 | Smokey Bey's Barbecue | |
| 9 | Bald Beauties BBQ | |
| 10 | Who's Cookin'? | |
| 11 | Blind Fox BBQ | |
| 12 | Irwin's Pit Crew | |
| 13 | Finger Leikam Good | |
| 14 | B3 BBQ | |
| 15 | Keep Calm & Sauce On | |
| 16 | Sasquatch Smoke N Que | |
| 17 | Brushfire BBQ |